Mahavisnu and Krishna

Krishna in Atharva Veda

While Studying Mythology I came across “academically ” that Krishna is a Puranic God. But when I read the Gopalatapini Upanishad from the Atharva Veda, I can now state that claim is false. As this whole Upanishad describes Krishna as the supreme personality of the Godhead. I am just quoting the related verses to give reference and prove that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead academically without quoting from the Puranas, I am just giving the reference from Gopalatapini Upanishad, as my first blog post. I quote the following from the Gopalatapini Upanishad chapter 1.
1. Om Namah. I offer my respectful obeisance to Sri Krishna, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, who is the rescuer from
distress, who is understood by Vedanta, who is the supreme spiritual master, and who is the witness in everyone’s heart.
2. Om. Some sages said to the demigod Brahma: “Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Whom does death fear? By knowing whom
does everything else become known?  Who created this world? 
3. Brahma replied to them: “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Death fears Govinda. By understanding Gopijanavallabha
everything becomes known. By pronouncing the word “svaha” the Personality of Godhead created the world.
4. They then said: “Who is Krishna? Who is Govinda? Who is Gopijanavallabha? What is Svaha?”
5. To them, Brahma said: “Krishna means He who delivers from sin, Govinda means He who is famous on the earth, in the Vedas, and
among the Surabhi Cows, Gopijanavallabha means He who enchants the Gopis, and Svaha means the potency of the Supreme. All these
names refer to the Supreme Personality of the Godhead.
6. One who meditates on this Supreme Personality of Godhead, glorifies Him, and worships Him, becomes liberated. He becomes
liberated.
7. They said: What is His form? What is His glorification? How does one worship Him? Please describe this to us
8-9. Brahma said: He appears like a cowherd boy. His complexion is like a monsoon cloud. He stays under a desire tree.
The following verses describe Him.
10. Meditating with all his heart on Lord Krishna, whose eyes are handsome lotus flowers, whose complexion is a monsoon cloud, whose garments are lightning, who has two arms, who is rich in transcendental knowledge, who wears a garland of forest flowers, who is the supreme controller, who is surrounded by Gopas, Gopis, and Surabhi cows, who rests under a sura-druma tree, who is decorated with splendid ornaments, who stands in the middle of a red lotus flower, and who is served by breezes that have touched the Yamuna’s waves, a person becomes free from repeated birth and death. 
20. Lord Krishna is the worshipable, all-pervading supreme controller. Although He is one, He manifests in many forms. They who are intelligent worship Him as He stands on His altar. They, and not others attain eternal happiness.
21. The Brahmanas, who worship, as He stands on His altar, the one greatest among the eternal and greatest among conscious persons,
the one who fulfills the desires of the many, they, and not others, attain perfection.
22. To them who always diligently worship Lord Visnu’s transcendental form, the Lord, in His original form as a cowherd boy, shows His lotus
feet.
23. It was Krishna who initially instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past. They
who desire liberation surrender to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who grants transcendental knowledge to His devotees.
27-28. Brahma said: I continually glorified the Lord and meditated upon Him for millions of years, and at last, I was able to understand the
transcendental form of the Lord as Sri Krishna, in the dress of a cowherd boy. With devotion in my heart, I bowed down before Him. He
gave me the eighteen-syllable mantra to be used for the activity of creation, and then He disappeared.
29. When I desired to create the universe He again appeared before me, showing me in these syllables the universe that was to be.
31. By worshiping Him, Shiva became free from illusion, and by chanting this mantra in a solitary place, he attained the Lord.
38. With eloquent prayers, I and the Maruts please Lord Govinda, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, who stays under a
desire tree in Vrndavana, and who is this five-word mantra. 
54. Therefore, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should meditate upon Him, glorify Him, serve Him and worship Him.
Also, Brahma in Bhrama Samhita glorifies  Sri Krishna as Ishwara Parama Krishna, sat chit Annada Vigraha. Krishna is the supreme controller and his form is of knowledge and bliss.  Krishna in numerous verses of the Bhagavad Gita mentions himself as the ultimate God. Bhagavad Gita chapter 10.8 Krishnasays aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattah sarvam pravartate, iti matva bhajante mam,budha bhava-samanvitah. (I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.) Many texts such as Vedas, Narayan Suktam, Vishnu Sukta, Rudra Hridya Upanishad, etc. the list can go on, mentions Krishna to be the Supreme God. 

2 thoughts on “Krishna in Atharva Veda”

  1. Very well said and written, excellent blog on Shree Krishna, Meditate on Krishna, Glorify Krishna, Serve Krishna, Worship Krishna.
    Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
    Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
    Hare Rama Hare Rama
    Rama Rama Hare Hare

  2. Very well said and written, excellent blog on Shree Krishna, Meditate on Krishna, Glorify Krishna, Serve Krishna, Worship Krishna.
    Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
    Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
    Hare Rama Hare Rama
    Rama Rama Hare Hare

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